Saints up to tenth following victory over Everton

Southampton have jumped to tenth in the Premier League table following their 1-0 victory over Everton at St Mary’s.

Claude Puel’s side secured the three points through a goal in the opening minute of the tie on the south coast through Charlie Austin.

A finely poised encounter could have gone either way as both teams went toe-to-toe in a pulsating match, the Saints having 18 shots to Everton’s 13, but come the final whistle the hosts stood firm to make Toffees’ boss Ronald Koeman’s return to his former club an unsuccessful one.

The hosts got the dream start as within 60 seconds they took a lead they were not to relinquish. A goalmouth scramble saw the ball strike off Josh Sims and land for Austin to prod home.

The Saints made all the running in the opening 20 as they pressed for a second. Youngster Sims found himself in possession in plenty space in the box as a cross came to him but the best he could do was head weakly into the arms of Maarten Stekelenburg.

Everton had chances of their own with Yannick Bolasie firing wide and Gareth Barry heading over from a free-kick but the overall flow was with the Saints.

Southampton should have gone 2-0 up after the break. Ryan Bertrand broke down the left and won a corner with a ball into the box, which fell to Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg to smack an effort against the post.

Bolasie had another chance after the interval as he played a 1-2 with Aaron Lennon and bore down on goal, only for his effort to go wide of Fraser Forster’s post.

The Saints were dangerous whenever they broke and Austin almost doubled his tally when he headed a Cedric Soares cross goalwards, Stekelenburg clawing away. Southampton began to surge into the Everton half with Hjojberg and Virgil van Dijk breaking into the box and the Toffees manically repelling them.

Bolasie again went close – but it was no dice - as he got on the end of a ball from Ross Barkley and found the roof of the net.

It was end-to-end stuff as Cedric crossed for the Saints next and James Ward-Prowse saw his effort palmed away by Stekelenburg.

The Toffees continued to press right to the final whistle with Barry unleashing a shot on target, and Forster claiming, as the Saints survived to take the win.

Photo (©Getty Images/Alex Broadway)

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